Mom’s ‘excuse note’ for her tardy daughter goes viral

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CLARKSBURG, Calif. — A California teen running late for school must have been thrilled when her mother agreed to write an excuse note — until she read it.

The note has been shared tens of thousands of times on Facebook, likely by applauding parents everywhere who know just how hard it is to get their children to school every morning.

Nicole Poppic wrote in the caption of the post, “This is what happens when you are tardy as a result of your own poor choices and you ask me for a note to excuse your tardiness,” adding a grinning emoji face wearing sunglasses for good measure.

“Cara is tardy this morning as a result of a condition known as teenage-ism,” Poppic wrote. “She suffered from an inability to remove herself from her bed, and also felt the need to talk back to her birth-giver.”

Hundreds of people praised Poppic’s parenting, even calling her the mother of the year, but some thought she was too harsh.

Poppic, who says she’s been overwhelmed trying to respond to people, addressed the critics by saying:

Perhaps the message seems “harsh and condescending” to some. But, While Cara and I have our moments of frustration (just like any other parent/teen combo), we are really very close. She understands my sense of humor and she even laughed about the note herself a couple days later. It was simply a way to add a splash of humor to a very stressful morning.